1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog voice message storage device for storing voice messages transmitted on a telephone line, and more particularly, to an analog voice message storage device equipped in a telephone for recroding and reproducing messages transmitted on a telephone line.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One example of the voice message storage device is a telephone associated with a known automatic answering system utilizing an analog telephone line. Such an answering system is increasingly in demand as the demand for information storage expands.
The following description is directed to a telephone answering system, as an example of an apparatus incorporating the voice message storage device, utilizing analog telephone line.
A conventional telephone answering system adapted to automatically answer in one's absence is shown in FIG. 3.
In FIG. 3, a detecting unit 2 connected to an analog telephone line 1 detects an incoming call signal. The line 1 is opened or closed by the operation of a line connecting unit 3. An audio signal message received on line 1 is recorded and reproduced by a message recording/reproducing unit 4, and outputted from a voice generating unit 5. An instructional message reproducing unit 6 reproduces audio signals denoting various instructional messages which are stored previously. The line connecting unit 3, message recording/reproducing unit 4 and instructional message reproducing unit 6 are controlled by a control unit 8. The message recording/reproducing unit 4 and instructional message reproducing unit 6 can be operated either by the manual operation of an operating unit 7 or by the a signal detected from the detecting unit 2. Each of the component units 2 through 8 is accommodated in a main body 9 associated with the telephone set.
The above telephone answering system operates in the following manner.
When the detecting unit 2 receives an incoming call, a detecting signal is supplied to control unit 8 which the performs the following controlling operation. First, the line 1 is closed by the connecting unit 3 to connect the line 1 to the instructional message reproducing unit 6. Thus, the instructional message reproducing unit 6 is operated to reproduce the audio signals of the stored instructional message on the line 1. As a result, the caller is permitted to hear various instructional messages which are stored previously. For example, a stored instructional message may be such as,
"This is Mr. Smith speaking. I an sorry, but I'm out on business. So, would you please leave a message."
Thereafter, the line 1 is connected to the message recording/reproducing unit 4 to initiate automatic recording of the message of the caller. After a predetermined recording time, the message recording/reproducing unit 4 ceases recording. Then, the line 1 is opened again by the line connecting unit 3 to place the telephone in an on-hook condition.
When the owner of the telephone manipulates the operating unit 7, the recording/reproducing unit 4 is played back to enable the owner to listen to recorded the message through the voice generator 5.
In the above-described conventional voice message storage device equipped in the telephone, the message can be stored only for one person or for one group of people. If a number of people should share the use of the telephone, it is very difficult to maintain the privacy of the recorded message.